TENNIS

Thiem triumphs in straight sets again

Stadium Astro
Russell Greaves
31/05/2017
11:53 MYT
Thiem triumphs in straight sets again
Dominic Thiem fought back from a sluggish start to defeat Italian qualifier Simone Bolelli 7-5 6-1 6-3 and progress to the last 32 of the French Open.
The Austrian, who reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros last year, is yet to drop a set in his opening two matches, although sterner tests are likely to await, with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in his half of the draw.
Thiem's promising start at Roland Garros extends his fine form heading into the tournament, having reached the finals in Barcelona and Madrid – where Nadal was his nemesis on both occasions.
But he produced a stunning display to beat the Spaniard in the last eight of the Internazionale BNL d'Italia and the sixth seed showed some of his considerable potential in Wednesday's triumph over Bolelli.
He had to overcome a poor opening to the contest, with world number 470 Bolelli taking the first three games after Thiem was broken following a string of unforced errors.
An unconvincing hold got him off the mark and proved to be a catalyst for the 23-year-old, who got things back on serve at the next opportunity, his deep, searching forehands posing questions for which Bolelli had no answer.
The underdog snuffed out three break-point openings in the following game, but succumbed soon after to allow Thiem to serve out for the set.
Thiem broke at the start of a second set that featured break points in all but one game, while the third was a keenly contested affair that hinged on a break in the eighth game.
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN Thiem [6] bt Bolelli 7-5 6-1 6-3
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS Thiem – 42/32 Bolelli – 18/39
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS Thiem – 8/7 Bolelli – 0/1
BREAK POINTS WON Thiem – 6/30 Bolelli – 1/5
FIRST SERVE PERCENTAGE Thiem – 47 Bolelli – 80
PERCENTAGE OF POINTS WON ON FIRST/SECOND SERVE Thiem – 83/59 Bolelli – 57/35
TOTAL POINTS Thiem – 121 Bolelli – 93
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